Sunday, April 1, 2007

this small seaside area is located at the Bagan Ajam Rest & Recreational Area, at the recently opened Butterworth Outer Ring Road. it's just after the toll gates past the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT).

i chanced upon this place while looking for the seaside at Taman Robina, which was featured in TheStar. not knowing the exact way there, i simply drove around, and by the time i saw the toll plaza, it was too late to make a u-turn :p... and yes, i did reach Taman Robina, in case you're wondering...

facilities-wise, the place is quite ok. there are ample parkings, a few foodstalls selling varieties of local and western fares, not-too-dirty toilets, and a few shower heads near the beach. however, due to the "strategic" location of the rest area, cars will have to drive past the toll gates to reach here - and that translates to a $1.20 "entrance fee" :( ...

the beach itself is nothing to shout about. a bit of rubbish can be seen strewn here and there, and there's hardly any trees left around. the waters aren't clear - but still acceptable, and more importantly, i didn't spot any jellyfish :p. i wouldn't want to swim in there though...

on a clear day, one can have a good view of penang island from here. on a typical hazy malaysian-day, one can still get a view of penang island - just that the view is, well, hazy and blurry.

i had came here today hoping for a good view of sunset to photograph... but the day wasn't meant to be. there were a lot of low-lying clouds blocking the horizon, and the sun decided to make itself scarce this evening. not much opportunity for panoramic shots, either...

took a leisurely stroll along the beach, walking in the shallow water, feeling the waves lapping up against my legs... and the feel of the sands slipping away from underneath my feet... the sound of the waves washing against the shore... little kids running around playfully.. the soft breeze blowing against my face...

ahh... it feels peaceful here, as long as i don't look the other side, where the expressway runs parallel, with vehicles wheezing by, releasing poisonous gases... or even the occasional glass pieces in the sand... ha ha, that sure spoils the feel-good notion...